Community of Christ membership and field organization

Community of Christ membership and field organization is governed by the scriptures, resolutions and Bylaws of the Community of Christ and administered by the First Presidency, Council of Twelve and others. To be considered a member of the Community of Christ, individuals participate in two sacraments of the church: Baptism and Confirmation. Baptism in the Community of Christ is by full immersion and Confirmation is conferred by the "laying on of hands."

Membership statistics are maintained by local recorders in each congregation and reported electronically. The Community of Christ reported 2015 enrollment within Mission Centers a total of 199,485 members, up from 199,268 in 2014. Membership totals for the year 2006, 2013, 2014, and 2015 in each mission center are shown in the table below.[1]

As of the 2016 World Conference, membership had increased to 250,301 with 199,485 members being enrolled with a Mission Center. The number of Priesthood members as of 2015 stands at 20,552 with 10,334 holding the Aaronic Priesthood and 10,218 holding the Melchisedec Priesthood.[2]

Membership by Mission Center

Mission Center Name2006 Enrollment 2013 Enrollment[3] 2014 Enrollment 2015 EnrollmentMission Field[4]
Alabama-Northwest Florida USA2479 2437 2434 2422Southern USA
Arizona USA2187 2102 2103 2095West Central USA
Ark-La-Tex USA917 878 880 880Southern USA
Australia2017 1929 2598 2672Pacific
Bountiful USA2232 2165 2152 2140East Central USA
Brazil 357 358 359
Ireland and Great Britain1373 1281 1273 1276North Atlantic (Europe/USA)
Brush Creek USA2506 2292 2230 2253East Central USA
Canada East5679 5506 5469 5598Canada/North Central (USA)
Canada West2610 2421 2416 2395Canada/North Central (USA)
Caribbean545 633 656 671Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA
Cedar Valley - Nauvoo2591 2553 2543 2528East Central USA
Central Africa9583 Africa and Haiti
Central America2022 2764 2762 2759Central and South America
Central Missouri USA3259 3050 3044 3007Southern USA
Central USA15481 14808 14704 14622Central and Michigan USA
Chesapeake Bay USA1615 1647 1643 1640North Atlantic (Europe/USA)
Chicago USA1591 1526 1521 1519East Central USA
Coastal Bend USA1959 1960 1962 1960Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA
Congo Katanga 11,738 11776 11792
Dominican Republic1108 1425 1471 1508Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA
East Asia526 555 555 560Asia
Eastern Great Lakes USA2879 2750 2701 2614East Central USA
Eurasia 412 412 417
Europe1151 North Atlantic (Europe/USA)
Far West USA2630 2516 2480 2470West Central USA
Florida USA2760 2854 2861 2893Southern USA
French Polynesia6882 7528 7772 7990Pacific
Gateway USA2755 2732 2718 2709East Central USA
Greater Pacific Northwest USA6218 6014 5981 5985Pacific
Gulf USA2044 2057 2074 2080Southern USA
Haiti10970 11056 11081 11082Africa and Haiti
Headwaters USA/ Canada2659 2608 2617 2612Canada/North Central (USA)
Heart of Michigan2602 Central and Michigan USA
Heart of Texas USA1416 1376 1379 1364Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA
Inland West USA3075 3010 3015 2898West Central USA
Ivory Coast 589 609 630
Kentucky - Indiana USA1563 1567 1553 1548East Central USA
Kenya 3401 3525 3654
Lamoni Heartland USA3823 3680 3656 3624Canada/North Central (USA)
Liberia 2609 2608 2620
Malawi 2423 2459 2460
Mexico - Texas Mexico/USA778 813 814 815Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA
Michigan USA/Canada 14728 14711 14534
Michigan Blue Water3259 Central and Michigan USA
Mid-Atlantic USA1984 1888 1870 1873North Atlantic (Europe/USA)
Midlands5260 5134 5124 5128West Central USA
Mid-South USA2179 2572 2607 2650Southern USA
New England USA2069 1978 1956 1946North Atlantic (Europe/USA)
Nigeria 6086 6126 6172
Northern Great Lakes2615 Central and Michigan USA
Northwest South America 414 415 416
Oklahoma USA3605 3571 3560 3559West Central USA
Pacific Island1506 1526 1554 1574Pacific
Prairie Bluffs USA4596 4524 4509 4502Canada/North Central (USA)
Rio Grande USA862 844 838 841West Central USA
Rocky Mountain USA3873 3804 3796 3784West Central USA
Sierra Pacific USA3378 3261 3245 3231Pacific
South America785 Central and South America
South Central Africa 2454 2529 2642
South Central Asia6284 6936 6985 7004Asia
South Central States USA4805 4726 4719 4671Southern USA
South East Africa7017 Africa and Haiti
Southeast Asia1457 1500 1594 1606Asia
Southeast USA1753 1761 1719 1722Southern USA
Southern California USA2347 1922 1882 1865Pacific
Southern Cone of South America 111 111 111
Southern Great Lakes International6489 Central and Michigan USA
Southwest International (USA/Mexico)1685 1624 1635 1625Pacific
West Africa8749 Africa and Haiti
West Congo Kinshasa 5 5 4
Western Europe 828 820 817
Western Ohio USA2151 2087 2093 2087East Central USA
Mission Center Enrollment Total 195,605 198,306 199,268 199,485
World Church General 50,824 50,864 50,816
Grand Total 249,130 250,132 250,301

Field organization

The basic unit of organization in the Community of Christ is the congregation. The congregation is the Community of Christ in its local area and attempts to bring the ministry of Jesus Christ into the surrounding community. Each congregation has a Pastor, Financial Officer and usually several additional, mostly volunteer priesthood members. Congregations belong to mid-level organizational units called a Mission Center. Mission Center Presidents report to a field Apostle who supervises several mission centers in one of eleven mission fields.

At the 2007 World Conference, a member holding the priesthood office of Seventy was teamed with each of the Apostles, as follows:

  • Apostle Linda L. Booth and Seventy Karin Peter in the Southern USA Mission Field
  • Apostle Andrew Bolton and Seventy Sam Kumar in the Asia Mission Field
  • Apostle Bunda C. Chibwe and Tanoh Assoi in the Africa and Haiti Mission Field
  • Apostle Stassi D. Cramm and Seventy John Wight in the Central and Michigan USA Mission Field
  • Apostle Mary Jacks Dynes and Seventy Kris Judd in the Canada/North Central (USA) Mission Field
  • Apostle Ronald D. Harmon Jr. and Seventy Larry McGuire in the East Central USA Mission Field
  • Apostle Dale E. Luffman and Robin Linkhart in the West Central USA Mission Field
  • Apostle Rick W. Maupin and Seventy Ruben Landeros in the Caribbean, Mexico and Texas USA Mission Field
  • Apostle Carlos Enrique Mejia and Seventy Bob Kyser in the Central and South America Mission Field
  • Apostle Susan D. Skoor and Seventy Gina Norton in the Pacific Mission Field
  • Apostle Leonard M. Young and Seventy Richard James in the North Atlantic (Europe/USA) Mission Field

Notes

  1. Carina Lord Wilson and Andrew M. Shields, "Church Membership Report," in 2007 World Conference Monday Bulletin, March 26, 2007, p.269-276. Community of Christ, 2007.
  2. Saturday/Sunday Bulletin World Conference 2016. Community of Christ. 2016. p. 40.
  3. Saturday/Sunday Bulletin World Conference 2016. Community of Christ. 2016. pp. 46–47.
  4. Andrew M. Shields, "Official Minutes of Business Session, Wednesday March 28, 2007," in 2007 World Conference Thursday Bulletin, March 29, 2007, p.329-330. Community of Christ, 2007.
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